Stewart Thorson, principal of New Century Technology High School in Huntsville, Alabama, develops plans for his school's professional learning in an environment restricted by state regulations. In Alabama's Title I and low socioeconomic status schools and through initiatives such as Blue Ribbon Schools and the State Department of Education's Plan 2020, individual, school-, and district-level professional learning plans are tied to school improvement goals and monitored and evaluated at each level--with online monitoring at the state department level. The regulations require local committees, special coordinators, and state-approved providers, with onsite review of the professional learning's impact for Title I schools. Thorson sees these restrictions as "good--if a school is ready," especially for specific targeted professional learning initiatives. This includes project-based learning, which requires 100% buy-in of faculty and high levels of parent involvement. So, if a school has not done the preparation work with its stakeholders, it will not qualify for the funding. A national network of online activities and assessment surveys are the source of professional learning for this particular initiative. However, Thorson points out that if a school is not ready for the specific initiative selected at the state level, choices are limited because funds for other options are not provided and often not available from other sources unless the school can garner private funding. A look at trends across the U. S. has identified strategies that district leaders can use--regardless of their state's regulations--to improve professional learning.